Nico Rosberg, owner of E-sports team Rosberg X Racing, has waded in on COP26. A prominent figure within the environmental sub-section of the sporting world, Rosberg took to Twitter to advocate for the implementation of environmental policies, whilst also confirming his attendance at the conference this week.
Since his retirement from Formula 1 following his championship-winning season in 2016, Rosberg has dedicated himself to the environmental cause, culminating in the creation of his own E-rally team Rosberg X Racing, which recently earned him the European Culture Award for the Environment.
In a video and subsequent thread posted on Twitter, Rosberg on Monday called for urgency in the face of the climate crisis. In particular, he highlighted the Paris Agreement commitment to limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees by 2030 stating that, “Decisions made now affect the pace of transition to reach that zero carbon emission goal.”
I'm looking forward to attending #COP26 this week 👍 What are your expectations and wishes? To support our 1.5-degree target, I advocate for these key topics: pic.twitter.com/axqKUQj4Kr
— Nico Rosberg (@NicoRosberg) November 1, 2021
In order to reach that target, Rosberg has advocated for three important changes to be immediately implemented. Firstly, he called for a shift from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources. Secondly, for the protection of rainforests and biodiversity, primarily through stopping deforestation. Finally, to build circular economies for every industry, in order to stop the use of single-use plastics.
Rosberg’s advocacy for sustainability uses the medium of sport to convey the environmental message as, in his own words, “Sport has a unique power to highlight climate change.” His engagement in the novel Extreme-e rally series has already raised the profile of climate change within a sporting context, with other racing series, including Formula 1, now starting to consider and address their environmental impact.
Rosberg will be hoping that his in-person attendance at COP26 will further raise the profile of sustainable sport, and hopefully elicit tangible, positive change at this critical juncture for the survival of the planet.
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Photo: Screenshot of Nico Rosberg during Twitter video